Caroline Neville

Caroline Neville knows the best stories have unexpected twists. Her own took her from prestigious positions at major New York City and Minneapolis publishing firms to a cozy home on the Namekagon River with her fly fisherman husband, Stu, toddler Molly, and Welsh springer spaniel puppy, Rosie.

The 37-year-old Park Center board member admits that the last few years represent a major gear shift for her.

“You just never know where life is going to lead,” she says. “But if you're just open to things and ready to start a new chapter, it can really work out.”

Caroline had nearly a decade of experience in book promotion before love brought her to Hayward in 2020. Her husband, Stu Neville, owns Hayward Fly Fishing Company, the local sponsor of the popular International Fly Fishing Film Festival, a series of short films that showcase diverse stories and fly fishing adventures from around the world. The annual festival comes to The Park for the third time on Saturday, March 21. 

The couple’s unique blend of interests and expertise, combined with a desire to be more involved with their new community, brought the annual festival to The Park. 

Caroline grew up in Northfield, Minnesota, the daughter of a librarian and a St. Olaf physics professor. After graduating from St. Olaf College in 2011 with a degree in English and media studies, she was hired as a publicist for Henry Holt and Company, a New York City-based subsidiary of Macmillan Publishers. 

“I worked in the publicity department of that publisher for three years, and that was where I got my start in the public relations and marketing world,” said Caroline. “But I was eager to move back to the Twin Cities for friends and family — and I just missed the Midwest.”

Her timing was fortuitous. Within months of her return to Minnesota, she was hired to replace the retiring publicist at Graywolf Press, a highly respected independent Minneapolis publisher. She was there seven years, ultimately serving as publicity director before moving to Hayward to marry Stu. 

Caroline and Stu had both attended St. Olaf College, where Stu was an Environmental Studies major, but didn’t meet until 2018, at a mutual friend’s wedding. By then, Stu was already a well-established guide for the Hayward Fly Fishing Company. He purchased the company in 2021.

Stu’s close friendship with Ian Finch introduced Caroline to the Park several years ago. Finch was a board member at the time and knew The Park Center wanted to focus more intensely on programming and marketing. He suggested Caroline’s talents would be a perfect fit for their mission.

“I said that sounds kind of interesting because by that point I had been done with my job in publishing for a little while and I was eager to keep that thread going,” she said. 

“I thought this could be a really cool way to apply that experience in a different arena,” she said. “There are a lot of similarities between promoting a concert and promoting an author's book tour. What do you need to do to get the word out to the local media? What time do they need to be there? What's the phone number, what are all those nuts and bolts of what it takes to put on a show or an event, that kind of a thing. And so I thought, okay, this could be something cool. I tagged along to a board meeting with Ian, and it was just kind of off and running from there.”

She currently writes and sends press releases about every Park Center event to 40 to 50 contacts. She worked on social media until Molly was born.

“There's so much more I wish I could do, but with a baby at home, there are limitations,” she said. “She's just learned the word no, so we're having a lot of fun with that. But I appreciate that folks accept that everybody just comes to the table with what they can offer.

“I think the Park is an awesome, valuable thing in our community, and I'm just so glad to be a part of it.” 

Patty VanLandschoot

Patty's a classic

Patty Van Landschoot is the Park’s rock star of classical music. 

Her years of tireless effort, combined with the persistence of programmer Michael Pilhofer, laid the foundation for Park’s first-ever Chamber Series.

The three-concert series kicks off March 20 with “Histoire,” a violin and piano recital of French music. In May, a string trio, plus piano, delivers an evening of musical variety including Mozart. The series concludes in November with a string quartet and piano performance of holiday-themed music.

Patty has been bringing classical music to the Park since 2009, but her love of music has been lifelong. She taught choral music in grades K-12 for over 40 years and has been involved with all levels of church choir music for 60.

She and her husband, David, moved to Hayward from Superior 19 years ago. She immediately became involved with the Chequamegon Children’s Theater as their rehearsal pianist and stayed with that for fifteen years until arthritis caused her to retire.

“I’m not the pianist I used to be, but I still am actively involved in directing the First Lutheran Church Choir,” Patty said.

Another passion is handbells, and she’s developed many ensembles over the past 45 years.

She started an adult hand chime choir in Hayward five years ago that has rung at the Park several times.

 “I like all genres of music,” she said, “but I included classical music with all of my teaching endeavors because it is the top level of any repertoire.”

It was that love of classical music that motivated Patty to become its champion at the Park.

“Our folks in Hayward don't have much access to classical music,” she said. “Since there is no symphony  or university orchestra nearby, we feel our concertgoers have a gap in the area of classical music entertainment.  We have come up short!”

She understands that the Park’s mission is to offer many styles and genres of music.

“Rock music is great; so is blues and country, Celtic, jazz, R&B, and folk, but the most difficult of all is classical music,” Patty said. “Its composition can be more complex and less understood, but it can also be extremely beautiful. Why has classical music stood the test of time? Why is the music of composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy still being played after hundreds of years? Because it is so good. It is timeless. AND Classical musicians study for years to become good enough to play it.”

It has always been a challenge to find classical artists to perform in Hayward, said Patty. The Piatigorsky Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing live classical music to communities across the county, has been a source for many Park concerts, but the last-minute nature of their scheduling has often been difficult to accommodate and promote.

Nor have they attracted large audiences, much to Patty’s frustration.

“That’s why I’m so happy that Michael suggested trying a Classical Music Series,” she said. “He has connections to musical artists from the Twin Cities Area and has assembled an interesting series of programs  and musicians.

The Park Center is offering a discounted ticket package for all three performances for a limited time. Three $25 tickets for $60, a savings of $15. CLICK HERE if you’d like to take advantage of this discounted offer. Please note the bundled package is not refundable.

The Park Centers 2026 Chamber Series includes:

March 20: "HISTOIRE" featuring violinist Hannah Kennedy and pianist Casey Rafn presenting an evening of French music, from 1700 to today. Music of French composers Claude Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, Lili Boulanger, and more.

May 23: "COLLAGE“ Join Hannah Kennedy (violin), Alexandra Sophocleus (viola), Ruth Marshall (cello), and Casey Rafn (piano) for an evening of musical variety, joy, and collaboration, including works by Mozart and more.

November 21: "HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA" The exceptional talents of Hannah (violin), Alexandra (viola), Ruth (cello), Casey (piano), along with special guests, return to The Park Center for an unforgettable evening of holiday-themed classical music.

Hobie Hobart

It’s no secret that longtime Park Center board member Hobie Hobart loves being center stage.

His love affair with the spotlight began when he donned a mushroom costume for his fourth-grade operetta, nearly 70 years ago. Thrilled by the attention, Hobie’s been comfortable in front of an audience ever since.

Hobie’s been a key figure in the Park’s transformation from an aging movie theater to today’s lively arts and performance center.

He unclogs toilets, changes light bulbs, and fixes foundation walls in sub-zero weather in his current role as the Park’s Building Committee chair. His wife of 40+ years, graphic designer and artist Kathi Pearson Dunn, created the Park’s signature color scheme of stunning rich plums and greens. Hobie spent a decade as chairman of the Board, guiding the rebuilding after COVID closed the theater, recruiting new ideas, energy, and members to the board.

Effective behind the scenes, it’s Hobie’s alter egos that make him unforgettable.

He’s the grown man dressed in multi-colored tights as the deliciously amusing Chocolate-Covered Cherry Fairy emceeing the “FaLaLa Follies.” His flat-out flatulence as Jimmer in “Escanaba in da Moonlight” stole the show. Who but Hobie could play Bud the Stud in the comedy/farce “Sex Please We’re Sixty?”

Hobie was well established as an entertainer before he came to the Park, but his transition from mushroom to front man followed a wandering path. 

The Lake Crystal, Minnesota native, earned a degree in biology from Gustavus Adolphus College and joined a country rock band. He paid bills, however, by partnering with his brother in a hometown painting and building company.

A move to Elgin, Illinois, found him substitute teaching in the science department of the local middle school. There, Hobie became part of “the most amazing thing I’ve ever done in my life” — a 3,300-mile journey from Montreal to the Gulf of Mexico in 20-foot birch bark canoes. 

The LaSalle Expedition II was a 1976 bicentennial reenactment of LaSalle’s original expedition in 1681. Sixteen teenage boys and seven adults, including Hobie, spent two years researching the original expedition, learning French, building six 20-foot canoes, and sewing authentic voyageur clothing.

During the course of the journey, rivers froze in historic cold, forcing them to sled canoes and walk 500 miles. A truck accident hospitalized four, but they successfully reached the Gulf of Mexico nine months later, on April 9, 1977.

Hobie used his storytelling skills throughout, in historical presentations in small towns along the route 

After another year of teaching, Hobie returned to Lake Crystal and the country rock band. During a gig in northern Minnesota at Quadna Mountain Resort, a chance meeting with a gifted fiddle player and a lumberjack eventually brought him to Hayward.

During a band break, Hobie noticed a young woman with a fiddle and invited her to play a couple of tunes on the band’s next set. Hobie and Molly Otis (then Scheer) have been friends and frequent bandmates ever since.

Scheer’s Lumberjack Show was also part of the resort’s entertainment that day. Noting Hobie’s easy banter in front of a crowd, Fred Scheer invited Hobie to be his show’s emcee. 

And so, with a hearty “Yo- ho - ho,” Hobie moved to Hayward.

Along with his emcee work at the lumberjack show, Hobie’s expedition experience made him uniquely suited to become a member of the Les Fils du Voyageur (Sons of the Voyageur), an Ashland-based a cappella singing group that dressed in authentic period garb performing songs of the voyageurs. His Louis Baron the Voyageur persona developed into a popular solo presentation of songs, stories, and dances that toured regionally. 

A second group, The Pinery Boys, soon formed, singing traditional logging songs to kick off the Lumberjack World Championships and to stroll the streets at Hayward’s Fall Fest.

His easy style and deep historical understanding of northland history made him a natural choice to emcee the Lumberjack World Championships and Birkie events for decades.

Twenty years ago, Hobie was one of a handful who banded together to keep the 1948 movie theater from being sold or torn down by its out-of-town owner.

“Deanna and Mike (Persson), Paul Mitchell, me, and a few others felt strongly that this building should not be demolished,” said Hobie. “We got a group together and said we’ll buy it. We would do a show or two, and we'd be paying off the guy who wanted to see her gone.” 

Eventually, a generous local benefactor paid off the mortgage. But as any homeowner knows, an aging structure needs constant money and attention, and an arts center needs performers and audiences to thrive.

He credits the tireless efforts of the current board, particularly president Carolyn Pare, vice president Chuck Abrams, and programming director Michael Pilhofer, for the Park’s renewed vitality.

"We were so struggling there to get some headway," said Hobie. "That was hard, but now we're going great guns — and moving the right direction."

Numbers Don't Lie

Numbers don’t lie: The Park Center’s 2025 season was a huge success! 

Our historic venue hosted a vibrant variety of events that delighted audiences young, old and in-between. 

A look at the numbers that defined our season:

Our 237-seat venue sold more than 4,700 tickets to 43 events.

Of those events, 12 sold out or enjoyed near capacity crowds. Popular programs drew audiences from a wide range of tastes and interests, from a memorable performance by The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, to the raucous Eagles Tribute and the wild blues energy of The Jimmys. Distinctly local fun drew crowds, too, including the Musky Fest Queen 75th Coronation, a free event for the community and the Evening of Dance, hosted by the Hayward Dance Experience.

A full house of friends and relatives enjoyed the energy of dozens of youthful dancers at 1 Evening of Dance, hosted by the Hayward Dance Experience.

Our 30 music performances had something for everyone, including 7 tribute performances to artists as varied as Patsy Cline, Elvis, Chicago, the Eagles, James Taylor and more. We featured at least 10 genres of music including Big Band/swing, ragtime, blues, rock, folk, country, classical, Americana, jazz and bluegrass.

We all need a good laugh, and we enjoyed plenty at 2 hilarious comedy shows.

The popular debut this year of our 4 free Artist Showcases introduced 13 local and regional acts to our community. Acts included country, folk, Americana, and rock musicians, poets and spoken word artists. 

Film buffs had their choice of 2 fascinatingly different festivals, The International Fly Fishing Festival and The Manhattan Short Film Festival. Costumed fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show flocked to its Halloween debut at the Park. High brow Shakespeare fans were treated to 1 theatrical performance.

Costume lovers were able to show their over-the-top creativity at 3 events: big hair and bell bottoms for the The Big 70’s Singalong, shark costumes and fishing hats for Bloody Hook, and anything goes for the Hayward debut of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Our Facebook posts received 1,100,000 views; our Instagram account, 26,800.

Thanks to 6 local businesses that generously supported local arts with show sponsorships. Hurrah and huzzah to Nelson Lumber, Johnson Financial Group, The Whistle Punk, Tattersall Distilling, Coops Pizza, and CHARAC!

Last season’s numbers are impressive, yet the most important metric — appreciation of our audience  — is immeasurable. 

Thank you for a most wonderful year, Hayward!

Scott and Paulette Smith

When there’s wine to be served, Scott and Paulette Smith are happy to help, especially if the event calls for festive dress. Hippie outfits and peace signs for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Santa hats for Christmas, beads and baubles for New Year’s Eve, and always, always smiles.

The Hayward couple began volunteering at the Park in 2012, shortly after moving here as newlyweds from Chicago suburbs. Now in their 80’s, they have no intention of slowing down. 

They initially helped with cleaning up the Park on a community work day. Scott, a retired engineer who loves solving problems, was quickly tapped to be part of the regular work crew. A project he’s particularly proud of is hanging the stage lights safety bar.

“That was very satisfying,” he said. “It’s a big thing, and you don’t want that dropping down on anyone. Now when I'm there, I always look up and say, ‘I did those.’”

He also designed the decorative trees gracing the stage at the annual Christmas shows.

“I made them out of two inch thick Styrofoam,” he said. “I didn't know how long they would hold up, but they're in their third season and still looking good.”

The Park is just one of many community organizations that benefit from the Smiths’ time and talents.

Paulette, a retired registered nurse, is president of the Hayward Garden Club. Scott grooms the hospital ski trails for HASTA. They’re both on the parking crew for Birkie events; Scott is a race chief for the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival; Paulette, a volunteer. As members of the Hayward Community Choir — he sings bass, she sings tenor — they recently sang in the Christmas Cantata. 

Scott is a major force behind a new 18-hole disc golf course now under construction at Mt. Telemark Village in Cable.

“I brought the idea to Ben Popp three years ago, and this year, it finally got the okay to go ahead,” said Scott. “The terrain up there is just up and down, so it really makes for an interesting course.”

The couple share a lifelong love of outdoor athletics, particularly skiing and triathlon. Paulette’s completed 70 triathlons, including two world age group championships, one in Geneva, Switzerland and the other in Honolulu. She’s skied the Korte 13 times, but has retired from competition.

Not so Scott. His goal is to be the oldest person to complete a full Birkie, “If I live that long,” he laughs. He’ll be 83 for the 2026 Birkie, which means he’ll need to keep at it for another four or five years. He’s already notched 23 Birkies and nine Kortes.

“I think it would be cool to ski the Birkie when I’m 90,” he said.

The two met on a ski trail in Illinois, Paulette coming one way, Scott the other.

“I saw that she had a New Moon jacket, so I asked her about that,” said Scott. (Paulette’s son Chris is an owner of New Moon.) “I was involved with a ski club, so I said, ‘You ought to join’ and she did. We were acquaintances at first, but after we both went through a divorce, the rest was history.”

“I never thought I'd meet a woman that wanted to live in Hayward,” he laughed.

It’s a choice they’ve never regretted.

“We love Hayward, and the Park Center is just a gem,” said Scott. “Such an asset to our community. We started going there from the beginning and have enjoyed so many 

wonderful shows there.”

They particularly appreciate the “fantastic” Artist Showcase series and the Manhattan Shorts Film Festival along with the Park’s more unusual offerings. They attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show this fall, which neither had seen before. “It was quite an experience,” said Paulette.

They’ve seen Mary Mack at the Park four times.

“New Year’s Eve at the Park is always fun,” the couple agrees.great. “Mary is so funny, and her husband's hysterical too.”

Michael Pilhofer

Drummer (noun): four-limbed juggler; the musical heartbeat of a group.

Michael Pilhofer is The Park Center’s drummer, literally and figuratively. The 56-year-old recent Clam Lake transplant and longtime musician serves as Director of Programming for The Park, responsible for building a calendar with 40 varied and interesting performances each year. 

That’s a huge undertaking, but just one of the many roles Michael plays as a volunteer at the Park. This Friday, he’ll be onstage as one of the featured performers in Christmas at The Park, our second annual holiday music show. He’s the P in the WPK Trio, whose other members are Phil Kadidlo on piano and keyboards and Mark Weisberg on bass. The three have known and worked with each other for over thirty years as top-call musicians in the Twin Cities. Singer Judi Vinar and trumpeter Steve Wagner are also long-time colleagues and will be joining Friday’s show.

As part of his role as Program Director, Michael collects promotional material for the acts he books, and occasionally shoots and edits performance videos for The Park’s YouTube channel and Facebook feed. (Click Here to see videos of our 2025 Artist Showcase series: https://www.youtube.com/@TheParkCenter

While any of these tasks are time-consuming and demanding, the role Michael enjoys most is that of Front of House (FOH) Sound Engineer. FOH, he says, is where the magic happens.

“Running sound is the most important role to make the band sound good,” said Michael. “I can make a good band sound great, and a great band sound even better. I thoroughly love it.”

Music has been a lifelong passion. His mother was a professional studio and jazz singer, his stepfather a renowned drummer and educator, and his father a talented composer and jazz pianist.

He began his professional musical career at 17 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Miami and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from The Eastman School of Music. He returned to his Twin Cities hometown in 1992 to pursue music full-time as a performer and educator.

He and his wife also ran their own strength and conditioning gym — MSP Fitness — for 11 years before COVID altered their plans. They moved to their Clam Lake cabin full-time several years ago. He considers himself semi-retired, but is often called to perform back in the Cities.

“Now that I’m semi-retired, I have the luxury of being able to play the music I want to play,” he said. “I want to play great music with wonderful people for an audience who cares.” That sense of caring is what makes his work at The Park Center so satisfying.

“The Hayward community is so thoughtful and respectful of the musicians/artists,” said Michael. “Whether they’re familiar with the performers or not, the audience takes in what they offer and gives it back. As a musician, that’s an incredible feeling.” 

“It’s a magical experience when the audience is engaged and participating in the moment of a musical creation. It’s a perfect environment for a musician,” he said. “I hope that means that what we do here matters to the community. I want people to think that it’s amazing that they live in the Northwoods and can hear top-quality artists right here in their own backyard.”

He also appreciates that The Park Center’s Board of Directors is open to challenging audiences. He felt classical music was underrepresented in its programming, so he is particularly looking forward to the 2026 Chamber Music Series featuring classical music: piano and violin in March, a string trio and piano in May, and string quartet, piano, and voice in November.

“I feel like I’m at a time in my life that I want to do things that matter,” said Michael. “And I love music. This work at The Park is perfect for my skill set. There’s a special energy about this place. I’m excited to be in a position to help make this place matter.”

Egan Young

Egan Young chases tornadoes. To him, there’s nothing more thrilling, but the aspiring meteorologist enjoys quieter pursuits, too. On show nights, you’ll find him just inside the Park’s front door, selling tickets and checking in guests before sending them off with a cheerful “Enjoy the show!”

He’s worked the front door since the 2021 Christmas Show, but has been coming to the Park all of his 18 years. His mother Judy has been involved with the Park since 1996, as a performer and now as a board member.

“I’ve always liked being here,” says Egan. “I enjoy being around creative people.”

 The high school senior is active in Drama Club and Quiz Bowl, but his real passion is meteorology, which he’ll study next fall at St. Cloud State. Experiencing seven tornadoes in three states over the course of 12 days solidified that decision.

The tornado that made the greatest impact occurred on Saturday, June 28 near Gary, South Dakota. Egan had been planning to work at the Park that night, but after reading a foreboding forecast hopped into his anemometer-topped 2012 Caravan and headed straight to South Dakota instead. At 7 p.m. he and his dad Chris encountered the biggest tornado they’d ever seen. That sight was eclipsed an hour later when they spotted a far more massive funnel just beginning a 40-minute, 10-mile track of destruction. The two followed the high end EF3 tornado along the entirety of its path, filming as the giant funnel passed over prairie farmland, pausing to annihilate a farmstead before moving on. Spoiler alert: despite total destruction, two of the five people at the farm sustained minor injuries, the others were unharmed. 

Click here to see Egan’s film, Tornado of a Lifetime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzVxJLqrYQE

Jeremy Hill

Volunteer Jeremy Hill will sell you popcorn. He’d also build you a home, pour your concrete walk, coach your high school son’s soccer team, or sell you a lot in the 100-home trailside community he’s developing. The owner of Hill Construction, Hayward Concrete, and The Preserve became an empty-nester this fall and decided to use his spare time to volunteer at his favorite concert venue. 

Hill was well aware of the work involved in running a business when he moved to Hayward in 2000. He grew up in Prescott, Wisconsin, where his family ran a busy restaurant. He started work here as a carpenter for Tworek Construction and then went out on his own three years later. Now his businesses have 50 employees. His son Noah was an all-conference midfielder/forward and is now a freshman at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Hill’s own athletic pursuits include skiing multiple Birkies and Kortes and biking the Chequamegon 40 Mountain Bike race.

Attending concerts and working concessions are just a small part of Hill's support for the Park. He’s helped rebuild the stage and front sidewalk and is a key player in planning future maintenance and improvements of the historic but aging structure.

“The Park is awesome,” says Hill. “I can’t imagine living in Hayward without it.”

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PARK CENTER VOLUNTEER? CLICK HERE!